Darkness
by SuicideAngel1369
Summary: With Uzumaki, Naruto in a Mental Hospital, and a certain Uchiha, Itachi as his doctor, will the blond end up spiraling further down with the darker, older doctor beside him? And when Kyuubi-sama comes into play, how will it all end? Ita/Naru some Kyu/Naru
1. Chapter 1

Dominick-chan: Hey guys! I know I'm supposed to be on Hiatus right now, but I'm a bad, bad girl and have decided to upload an older story of mine for everyone. :) I'm still trying to get through some barriers with my writing, so here is an apologetic story for y'all. I hope you enjoy! ^__^

Summery: Everyone has Darkness within them; some more than others. With Uzumaiki, Naruto in a mental hospital, and Uchiha, Itachi as his Doctor, will things spiral further down for the blond or will he find at least some solace within the older, darker male beside him? And when Kyuubi-sama comes into play, how will it all end?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, they belong to Kishimoto-sensei. I also do not own the toy Tangle.

DARKNESS

CHAPTER I:

HOSPITAL

Cerulean eyes opened to a white ceiling and matching walls; the eyes becoming wide as they landed on their Plexiglas reflection. The owner of the stunning blue eyes, was a boy with sun kissed blond hair and pale skin. Scars littered his body, but the most prominent ones were the six on his face. Three to each cheek, they gave him a fox-like appearance and he sighed. Shaking his head as he stretched, he pulled the starchy white covers from his body and stood from the twin sized bed. Yawning, he went to the sill of his barred window and gazed out at the horizon. The sun was just beginning to peak and it was breathtaking. The boy laid his head on his knees as he stared absentmindedly out of the window, taking in the rare display of beauty. As the sun rose higher in the sky, a knock sounded on the white door and it opened, revealing a busty blond with toffee coloured eyes and a slim figure.

She was wearing a pair of emerald green scrubs with the anagram K.M.H.C., which stood for 'Konoha Mental Health Center', embroidered in white on the pocket of the left breast and a pair of lime green Crocs. Giving him a smile, she walked further into his new room. "How did you sleep last night?" Her smile faltered when he gave no response and she sighed before cautiously taking him by the hand, having read within his chart that he didn't like being touched, and gently pulled him to his feet. "Come. I'll introduce you to your group and the doctor who will be taking care of you." The boy followed soundlessly behind her as they came upon a large brown door. Knocking, the woman let herself in and revealed a small office to him. Behind the large desk sat a man with long raven black hair pulled into a high tail and obsidian eyes.

He wore a pair of black slacks, a white button up shirt, a black tie and a white lab coat; several pens stashed in the left breast pocket. A pair of thin wire-rimmed angular glasses sat before him on the desk's surface as he rubbed the bridge of his nose; the heavy scent of French Vanilla permeating the room. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" The blond RN cleared her throat. "This is your new patient, Uzumaki, Naruto. He arrived last night." The man slid his glasses on and stood; his height of 6'3" towering. Walking over to the two blonds, he lifted the boy's chin up, forcing him to look him in the eyes. Naruto's blue orbs radiated defiance for a brief moment before he realized his mistake and they deadened. _'He is like the Inuzuka boy. . . Only, the traits and characteristics of a fox instead of a dog. Interesting.'_ Smiling, Tsunade broke the silence with her voice. "You'll get to see Uchiha-sama almost every day." Looking to the doctor, she blinked. "I promised to show him around and feed him breakfast. Later, Itachi."

Releasing the boy, he merely nodded and allowed them to leave. Closing his door, she lead him around the grounds and explained how the system worked. "You'll wake up at 9:00 a.m. sharp every day, except Sundays and go to breakfast. After eating, you'll go to class." Naruto cocked a brow at her and she chuckled. "We still see to it that you get your education here. We only have you take the core classes, English, Math, Science, History and Gym, though. After classes, you go to lunch and after lunch, you'll go to group. You will see Uchiha-sama when scheduled to, and then to dinner. Lights go out at 10:30 p.m. It's a very easy routine and you'll get used to it fairly quickly. You're Ward's laundry days are every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and you'll choose your own shower days." They sat at a cold metal table and upon wobbly metal and plastic chairs; Tsunade pushing a bagel with regular creme cheese towards him. "We also have a point system here. If someone sees your good progress, you get a point. 5 points is worth getting a candy or soda from one of the vending machines. 10 points and you're free from any class of your choice.

15 points is a call home and 20 points is a longer recess time. For each time you exert bad behavior, one point is taken away. If you get back down to zero, you'll be confined to your room, only to be let out for bathroom breaks and meals; along with any scheduled appointments." A loud, shrill bell rang, causing Naruto to jump and look wildly around him. Gently, Tsunade grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Come! It's time for class." She lead him to another door and went in. "This is your History class, along with your teacher, Umino, Iruka." A man with light brunette hair pulled into a high short tail and a scar across the bridge of his nose greeted him. "Hello! Welcome to History!" Tsunade looked to the man. "This is Uzumaki, Naruto. He just arrived last night." Iruka nodded and pointed to the seat in the back of the room. "I'm sorry, Naruto. That's the only seat I have left." Ten desks, including the teachers, had been crammed into the tiny room and he shrugged off the apology. Bidding Iruka goodbye, they went and visited the other teachers.

Next was Hatake, Kakashi, the English teacher; Miterashi, Anko who taught Science; Sarutobi, Asuma who taught Math; and Mait, Gai who taught Gym. Now, he was laying on his bed with his head on his pillow. _'This is going to suck. . .'_ Hearing a deep chuckle, he sat up quickly. A man with ruby eyes, scarlet red hair and a perfect ebony complexion sat cross-legged on the window sill; his pearly fangs glistening in the sunlight. "Do not worry, Naru-chan. You shall _always_ have me." Naruto's eyes became teary as he stared at the beautiful man. "Kyuubi-sama. . ." The enchanting male slid gracefully from the sill and positioned himself on the bed so that his back was against the headboard and the boy's head was on his lap. His clawed hands ran through Naruto's golden hair, and he felt the hot tears fall to his leg. "Hush, kit. All will be well. Calm down." The sound of footsteps reached their ears and Kyuubi pushed the sobbing boy up. Pressing his lips upon the blonds, he gave another sad smile. "I'll be back, Naru-chan." As the door opened, the redhead vanished and Naruto was left sitting in the middle of the bed on his hands and knees, with blood pulsing from his temple.

Tsunade gasped and ran to his side. "What happened?!" For fear that she would strike him, Naruto shrank back into the bed, and flinched when she pushed a tissue to the cut; soaking up the blood. When the thick substance had coagulated, she gently pulled him from the mattress and straightened out his clothes. "Come. It's time for group." Throwing the bloody tissue away, she half dragged him to a different room, where a female with long wavy auburn hair and rust coloured eyes sat in a plastic chair holding a clipboard. She was wearing a pair of black hip hugging jeans and a powder blue blouse which was cut low around her breasts and the sleeves slipped from her shoulders. "This is Kurenai. She's your group leader." The lady nodded to them and smiled. "Hello! We'll have you introduce yourself as soon as we start, all right?" He nodded and sat upon the floor. "Don't forget your meeting with Uchiha-sama after group." Again, he nodded and began picking strings from the beige coloured carpet. As Tsunade took her leave, a few people slipped into the room behind her.

The first was a boy with brunette hair, blackish coloured eyes and two red triangles upon his cheeks. The second was a female with long platinum blond hair pulled into a high tail and cornflower blue coloured eyes, and the third was another female with short bubblegum pink hair and mint green eyes. Following behind them was a boy with dark aquamarine eyes circled in black rings, blood red hair and the 'Ai' kanji marked upon his forehead above his left brow less eye; a female with cropped blue/black hair and pale, pupil-less eyes, and another boy with onyx coloured eyes and thick black dike-spiked hair. Each had a yellow and white medical band locked around their dominant wrists and took a seat upon a plastic chair. Kurenai cleared her throat for everyone's attention. "All right, everyone, we have a new member with us! Can you tell everyone your name?" Naruto put his head down and she smiled. "Why don't we introduce ourselves to you, first?" Pointing to the brunette, she signaled for him to start. "I'm Inuzuka, Kiba!" The pink haired girl came next. "Haruno, Sakura." Then the platinum blond. "Yamanaka, Ino."

Then the smaller female. "H-Hyuga, Hi-Hinata." The boy with blood coloured hair came next. "Sabaku-no-Gaara." The last was the black haired boy. "Hn. . ." Kurenai gave him a sharp look. "Sasuke, be nice." Her tone held authority, but he ignored it and went to sit in the furthest corner. The Inuzuka boy scoffed. "Stupid Uchiha!" Naruto cocked his head to the side. _'So, that is his brother. . .'_ Both the blond and pink haired females stood from their chairs and pointed a finger at the boy. "Don't talk about my Sasuke-kun like that!" They glared at each other. "What do you mean _your_ Sasuke-kun?! He likes me, more!" The blond blew a raspberry at her. "Nuh-uh!" The two continued their childish bickering until Kurenai stepped in and effectively quieted them down. As Kiba moved to sit next to the stuttering girl, flirting shamelessly with her, Naruto found Gaara sitting by himself with his arms folded across his chest. Sighing, he shook his head. "Uzumaki, Naruto." The commotion stopped and all eyes turned to him. "What?"

He heaved another sigh, as he disliked repeating himself. "My name. Uzumaki, Naruto." Kiba blinked. "A-are you serious?!" He rolled his eyes and Kurenai sat back in her seat, smiling. "Okay! Let's continue!" As the blond boy took a seat next to Gaara's legs, the redhead looked down at him. "What are you doing?" Cerulean eyes stared up at him. "You look lonely. . ." Before he could reply, Kiba piped up. "Can I guess why Uzumaki's here?" The whisker faced boy gave him a feral smile. "Go ahead." The brunette cleared his throat. "Well, we know you killed over a hundred people, so that's part of it. . ." He looked at the blond; a finger to his chin. "Um, you cut, too?" Naruto shook his head. "Nope." The other boy raised a brow. "Then where did all those scars come from?" Again, he shook his head. "The question is illegitimate. You're supposed to guess." A shrill bell sounded and Naruto jumped, clinging to Gaara's pant leg. "You don't like loud noises!" Kurenai stood and dismissed the group. Sighing, the blond quietly bid the redhead goodbye and made his way to Itachi's office. Knocking three times, he heard a quiet voice command "Come in.", and he opened the door.

Stepping inside the room, he shut the door with a soft click and walked slowly towards the desk. Motioning to the large chocolate coloured suede wing back chair before him, the raven silently told him to take a seat. The two sat in silence for a time before Naruto began to fidget with his hands nervously. Giving a slight smile, Itachi tossed him a multicoloured Tangle and watched him play with it. "So, Naruto, what are some of you favourite things to do?" The blond shrugged. "Reading, drawing, sleeping, internet porn. . .who doesn't like that?" His voice was low and monotonous, but Itachi caught the sarcasm quickly. "What is it you _don't_ like?" He cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. "Broccoli, stupid people, cops, abuse, bands that suck, apple pie, sports, sun, light in general, caramel, scars, crying, role play, slow computers, the smell of sweat and urine, wearing shoes, wearing clothes in general, time, monsters, hospitals, wet kisses, slow dancing, people who don't know how to dance to Techno, snow for long periods of time, loud noises, cats, insects, ballet, tazers, fake people, corn, peas, celery, carrots. . .the list is endless. . ." The raven nodded. "How has your first day been?" He shrugged once more. "Kyuubi-sama came and comforted me in my room today. I also met your brother."

Itachi sighed. "So, you met Sasuke." Naruto gave a frozen smile and a hollow laugh. "Honestly, I don't see _why_ everyone here is so into him. You're way more pretty." Itachi smiled. "Thank you, Naruto. Now, you mentioned someone named Kyuubi. Who is he?" A true smile graced the blonds face. "He's my only real friend." The raven raised a brow. "Tell me about him." Naruto sat sideways in his chair and abandoned the Tangle for a Rubix Cube. "Well, Kyuubi-sama is very nice to me. He has hip length scarlet hair, beautiful ruby eyes, and sharp fangs. When I was a child, I was alone until he took me in and cared for me. . .he's all I know. Kyuubi-sama taught me how to live, not to beg for the things I needed and such." Itachi watched as his eyes turned glossy. "Then one day, he never came back. I heard a gun go off and people run away. . .I found him laying in a pool of his own blood. He was rushed to the hospital and I was told he didn't make it. I was sent into Foster Care and spent a long time going from home to home. Everywhere I went, I was abused, locked in cupboards, starved, beaten, sexually assaulted. . .One day, I was fed up with it all and I saw Kyuubi-sama. . .He looked so beautiful, so ethereal. . .He told me it was time I right all the wrongs that had been done to us. That night, I killed everyone who had hurt us; the doctors who had lied to me, the people who had put me in Foster Care, all of the trash who was supposed to take care of me. . .I killed each and every one of them and I am not afraid to call myself a murderer."

He looked into Itachi's face, his own serious. "I can _smell_ the blood you have taken and the crimes you too, have committed." The man's features remained calm and he said nothing as the boy before him continued. "_That_ is why Sasuke is here. He watched you slaughter them. He's not just Emo or Suicidal, he's plagued by nightmares of what you did. He screams and he's afraid of you, claiming he wants to kill you." He leaned forward. "He doesn't hate you though, you know. Whilst it _is_ true that he's demented, he only wants to hurt you like a child would; beat upon your chest with his fists and maybe kick you in the shin and all that jazz, but not kill you. Sasuke wants you to be the brother from before, to hold him and tell him it's okay to cry." Naruto sighed and sat back against the seat. "But why try and be something you're not?" He sat the completed Rubix Cube upon the desk and gave a yawn. "Would you happen to know the time?" Itachi checked his watch. "6:30 p.m." The boy stretched and yawned again. "Are we done, then?" The Uchiha sat back in his chair. "You are free to leave my office whenever. Do you wish to leave?" The blond shrugged. "Do you wish me to go?"

Itachi gave a ghost of a smile. "Answering a question with a question, are we?" Naruto smirked. "Was I?" Rummaging through his desk a moment, the raven produced a sketch book and mechanical pencil from within it. "You have to promise me that only _you_ will draw in this and that you _wont_ stab yourself or anyone else with the pencil." Naruto waved his hand. "Promises are meaningless to me. However, I will give you my word that I and only I will draw and use the pencil _without_ stabbing either myself or anyone else." He took the two items from his doctor's hands and flipped to the first page of the sketch book; running his hand over the textured surface and shivering. Taking a finger, he ran it over the spine and shivered again. "Something wrong with it?" He shook his head. "No. . .I just, have to touch almost anything I see that has texture. . ." Itachi "Hmm'd" and continued watching his patient rub his fingers over the mechanical pencil. Giving another yawn, the blond stood and stretched. "Well, as fun as this has been, I think I should go to bed." Itachi nodded and stood from his own seat. "I'll escort you back."

As they walked out the door, the older male locked it and lead the boy through the brightly lit hallways. Once at his door, number 32A, he turned. "Goodnight, Naruto. I will see you tomorrow." Giving a nod, the blond went into his room and climbed into his new bed. Itachi made sure he made it without harm and turned off his light. Uttering one last goodnight, he shut the door and left.

* * *

Naruto sighed and placed his arm over his eyes. "So, you told him about me?" The blond shot up in bed and looked around the room. It was still as dark as it was before and everything was still in its place. "Kyuubi-sama?" An eerie chuckle screamed through the room and he held his hands over his ears. A pair of ruby eyes stared down at him from the ceiling and large teeth glistened in the barred dusk sunlight. "Do you think he's your _friend_, Naru-chan? Do you think you can _trust_ him?" Naruto cringed. "Is it bad to have at least _one_ friend, Kyuubi-sama?" Four claw marks found their way to Naruto's soft and scarred cheek and he hissed in pain. Lashing back with his own claws, his wrist was quickly caught and the hand that held it fractured the radius, ulna and carpals of his arm. The blond whimpered in pain and rolled off the bed, cradling the broken appendage to his chest. He flinched as Kyuubi stroked his hair. "See what you made me do, Naru-chan? I lost my temper and now your arm is broken." The fox-like man wiped away the seventeen year old's tears. "What is so bad about Itachi, Kyuubi-sama? After all, he has blood on his hands, too."

Kyuubi growled and pulled on Naruto's golden spikes, forcing the boy to look up at him. "Now, you listen here, Naru-chan! _I_ am your only friend! You think he gives two shits about you?! To him, you're just another person he has to councel! When this is all over, do you think he will care when you die?! Who has been there for you time and time again, huh?! Me! _I_ am the only one you need!" He smashed Naruto's head against the wall and heard a sickening crack. The brute force used had cracked his occipital bone and posterior fontenelle. The bang must have been loud, because soon, the room was flooded with light and there in the doorway stood Tsunade. "Naruto!" Calling for more nuses, he was immediatly rushed to the E.R. section of the hospital and Kyuubi smiled; vanishing and leaving not a trace that he had been there.

* * *

Dominick-chan: So, please tell me what y'all think! The next chapter shall be posted pretty soon, so fret not, all right? Thank you to everyone who has stuck by my side and have been ever so faithful and willing to wait until this turmoil called my life is over with. I cannot even begin to express into words how honored I feel :) You all are very dear to me.

Please read and review. Flamers are also welcome, seeing how my pet Sparky loves to eat them all up! XD Concidering he's a donut with pink frosting and green eyes, (ZOMG! IT'S A SAKURA DONUT!!!) That's a giant feat for him! Thanks again! ^___^


	2. No Control

Dominick-chan: So, I'm really sorry about the shortness of this chapter! I guess we could call it a filler lol

Summery: Everyone has Darkness within them; some more than others. With Uzumaki, Naruto in a mental hospital, and Uchiha, Itachi as his Doctor, will things spiral further down for the blond or will he find at least some solace within the older, darker male beside him? And when Kyuubi-sama comes into play, how will it all end?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, they belong to Kishimoto-sensei. I also do not own the toy Tangle.

DARKNESS

CHAPTER II:

NO CONTROL

Naruto's eyes filled with pain as his head and arm began to throb and pound in agony. Itachi flicked the syringe in his hand, diminishing all the air bubbles before injecting the medication into his deltoid. The blond could feel the agent taking effect and felt the pain ebb away until he felt nothing. Sighing, he let his tired eyes slide closed, only to open them again when the image of Kyuubi's angry face lingered on the backs of his eyelids. "Sleep, Naruto. That's what your body needs right now." Itachi's voice was low and calm, and he laid back against the hospital pillows. "Do you hate me, Uchiha-sama? will you turn on me like everyone else?" The dark man said nothing as the boy sighed and licked his lips. "Kyuubi-sama said you don't like me and wont care if I die. . .Is he right, Uchiha-sama?" He could only stare down at the boy on the bed; his child-like innocence sucking him in as a vacuum would dust. Naruto sighed again and looked down at the orange cast surrounding his right arm. "When can I get this off?"

Itachi shook his head. "It takes as long as it takes, Naruto." Grimacing at his arm, the blond relaxed against his pillows and tried to fight away his sleep. "You can return to your routine tomorrow if all goes well.: Naruto nodded and tried to sit up to thank the man, but was gently pushed back down. "Sleep, Naruto. You will heal faster." Giving a nod, he couldn't fight it off any longer and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Five Hours Later

Behind Naruto's closed eyes, as he became conscious, his blue eyes could see the faint flicker of light. Letting his eyelids flutter open, he found that he was moving. Allowing his head to fall to the side, he realized that he was on a gurney. Groaning, he closed his eyes again and waited for the ride to be over. "Okay, Naruto! Back into your own bed!" Tsunade helped him into a dangling position, very aware of his tensing and flinching, and got him to stand. He grimaced when the room began to spin and she was there to catch him as his knees gave out and he crumpled to the floor. Carefully, she lifted his lightweight body in her arms and laid him gently on his own bed. "Better, Naruto?" He groaned as a knock sounded upon the door. "How is he?" Tsunade shook her head. "Not good, I'm afraid." Naruto moaned, rolled to his side, and grabbed the trash can; vomiting up the anesthesia and medication.

After ten minutes of purging, he was breathing heavily and couldn't control the tears that were falling uncontrollably down his cheeks. He could feel Itachi's pleasantly cold hands cup his face and wipe away the continuous streams of liquid. "Calm down, Naruto." It took a minute for him to realize that the horrible choking sounds were coming from himself. He couldn't stop, though, and his legs curled up to his stomach. Itachi's hands were growing warm under his heated skin and his hands, with the exception of his broken one, gripped his arms. "Calm down, Naruto. Relax and breathe." Still, Naruto could not be pacified and he began to feel his body give spasms. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he could feel the saliva trailing down the sides of his lips and neck; soaking the pillow beneath his head. The choking sobs became louder and garbled now, as saliva obstructed his throat.

"Tsunade!" Naruto could hear Itachi's voice, but it was like static on a radio. His body started convulsing wildly and he felt a pinching sensation in his left glute. Whatever warmth was spreading through him hadn't taken immediate effect, but a few minutes later, his shaking and convulsing stopped. The harsh sounds coming from his vocals began to quiet and eventually died out as his breathing became normal, albeit heavy and he tried to roll over again. Itachi's heated hand helped the blond, who vomited into the trash can again. "Easy, Naruto. Easy now." Before he could lay back on the bed, Tsunade carefully removed the soiled pillow and replaced it with the clean one another nurse had handed her. Taking Naruto's vital signs, Itachi sighed and looked to the RN. When they found the blond had physically relaxed, they put up the bed rails to either side of him and turned out his light before leaving. Naruto felt very weird. His body felt as though he'd been run through a blender and his jaw was killing him. Immediately, his eyes began to grow heavy and he slipped into a pain free sleep, unaware of the ruby eyes staring at him with a mixture of fear, anger and sorrow.

* * *

**Seizure: **A sudden attack, spasm, or convulsion, as in epilepsy or another disorder.

**Glute: **The Gluteal muscle; Hip muscle

**Deltoid:** Muscle of the upper arm

Dominick-chan: Please read and review! I was so happy with all the reviews and favs I got yesterday! :) Huggs and kisses to you all and special brownies to everyone! And for the lactards, like me friend Angel, Special, special brownies for you!


	3. Under the Moon

Dominick-chan: All right! A double update! I'm on a fekkin roll here, man! XD

Summery: Everyone has Darkness within them; some more than others. With Uzumaki, Naruto in a mental hospital, and Uchiha, Itachi as his Doctor, will things spiral further down for the blond or will he find at least some solace within the older, darker male beside him? And when Kyuubi-sama comes into play, how will it all end?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, they belong to Kishimoto-sensei. I do own the Sphereum.

DARKNESS

CHAPTER III:

UNDER THE MOON

Bleary eyes stared into the face of Uchiha, Itachi and the brightness of the florescent lights in his room. His doctor's face was blank as he worked over him, but his eyes gave away his concern. Swallowing, Naruto winced as the rawness of his throat became apparent. "Would you like a drink, Naruto?" His body hurt to move and his jaw was clenched so tight, it felt as though his teeth would break, but he managed a small, weak nod. Turning from him, Itachi filled a cup full of ice water from the pale pastel pitcher on the bedside table and helped the blond into a sitting position. Naruto resisted a cry of pain and settled for a small whimper. His eyes squeezed shut and he grimaced. "What's your pain level, Naruto?" Using Sign Language, he conveyed an eight to the man, who nodded. Holding the plastic cup, he guided it to the boy's chapped lips and only allowed him to sip a little at a time. When the liquid was gone, the doctor placed the cup back on the bedside table and slid Naruto down the mattress as carefully as he could; his soft hand gently guiding the band of his pants down as he held a thin syringe between his teeth.

As the blonds body tensed, Itachi rubbed small circles into his hip. "Easy, Naruto. I'm just giving you some pain medication." This calmed him a bit and he jumped when something cold hit his flesh. "That's the alcohol pad, Naruto. It's all right." Pulling the cap from the syringe, he held it in his hands like a dart. "You're going to feel a small poke, but it will pass soon." Naruto braced himself and was surprised that he didn't feel as much pain as he'd expected. He felt a cotton ball swiftly rub across his skin and his scrub pants were pulled back up. "Better?" Naruto nodded and allowed Itachi to help him back into a sitting position. "I'm sorry. . ." The Uchiha paused and stared into the boy's dead eyes; startled by the sound of his slurred and broken voice. "For what?" Naruto's lips moved before he spoke. "For being an. . .inconvenience?" His eyes closed. "No, bothersome. . .trouble for you. . ."

Itachi blinked. "This is what I do, Naruto. It is why I am here." The blond fiddled with the orange casing around his arm; his body slouched and head down. "Still, I apologize." Shaking his head, the raven gently leaned him back and pressed the cup to his lips again. "Drink." Without question, he began to sip the cool liquid. When the cup had been drained a second time, the man placed the cup back on the tray and stood. "I'll be back to check on you soon, Naruto." Turning off his light, Itachi closed the door and left.

* * *

Three Weeks Later

The blue eyed blond boy sat upon the floor near Gaara's legs looking better than he had as each member eyed him curiously, though they said nothing. Laying his head against the redhead's knee, Naruto closed his purple lined eyes and breathed deeply. He truly liked the way Gaara smelled. It was sandy and reminded him of the Dragon's Blood incense Kyuubi-sama would always burn. He willed away the tears that pricked his eyelids and rubbed his injured cheek against the supporting leg. Sighing, he opened his eyes and looked around. Kiba was flirting with Hinata again and Sakura was doing the same to the brooding Uchiha. Ino was absent and Kurenai was charting everyone's behavior. Naruto yawned and his eyes closed once more. He jumped when a hand ran through his hair and he looked up at the green eyed boy. "I'm sorry. I only wanted to touch it." Naruto nodded. "It's okay. You just startled me, that's all." He noted how his hand was itching to touch it again and he gace an awkward, menacing smile. "Actually, it felt kind of nice. You can do it again, if you want. . ."

Gaara's lips twitched slightly and he gave an abrupt nod as the blond relaxed against his leg again; a gentle canine-like humming sounding in his throat as he was petted. Slowly, he drifted into a light sleep and resisted the urge to growl when Kurenai cleared her throat. "All right, everyone, come grab a piece of paper and a pencil." Reluctantly, they all stood and went to the woman. "Naruto, you don't have to do this one, seeing how your arm's broken." He shrugged. "Wouldn't matter. I'm ambidextrous." Taking the items gently from her, he sat back down. Blinking, she handed out the rest of the papers and pencils and waited for everyone to take their seats. Naruto absentmindedly scratched at the marks Kyuubi had left upon his left cheek while he waited. "Now then! I would like you all to write about something you accomplished today. If you can't think of anything, be creative!" Groaning, they all began.

Kurenai couldn't help watching Naruto as he wrote with his left hand, tongue between his teeth, but his eyes still dead. Sighing, she looked to see if everyone was participating and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Sasuke, why aren't you writing anything?" He didn't answer her, choosing instead to look away. "Just do the assignment and quit being such an ass, Uchiha." Sasuke shot a dark look at Naruto, who had not paused in his writing to speak. "You going to make me, dobe?" The blonds head snapped up and he focused on the raven. "So eager to fight. . .Tsk tsk. . .You know, the last person to call me that, died by my hands." Sasuke's eyes became, if possible, harder. "Is that a threat?" Naruto gave a malicious smirk that caused everyone, with the exception of Gaara, to shiver. "No. That is a fact. Now, if I had said that I would kill you by slitting your stomach open and letting your entrails spill out from your body cavity, and then cut your throat, that would be a threat." Kurenai began to speak, but Naruto held up a finger to momentarily silence her.

"But, I never said that, so no, it was not a threat, simply a stated fact. Now, quit pretending to be an Emo and just write something." Sasuke looked as though he was about to jump the blond, but the group leader interrupted them. "Okay everyone! Finish up and hand them to me." Standing, Naruto handed his and Gaara's pencils and papers to her and walked back to where the redhead's itching hands were. Closing his eyes, he let out a content sigh as the fingers ran along his skull once more. "Five points to Naruto and Kiba for their essays, four to Gaara and Hinata, two for Sakura, and I'm sorry Sasuke, but no points for you today." The raven shrugged and stood. "Have a nice day, everyone!" They all took that as their que to leave and hurried out of the room. Nodding to one another, Naruto and Gaara parted ways. The blond sat upon a waiting chair, waiting for the person before him to exit for his turn to spend time with Itachi. A few moments later, a small boy with brunette hair stepped from the room and walked away.

Standing and leaning against the doorjamb, he stared at Itachi, evaluating him. The elder Uchiha was bent prodigiously over his work; glasses to the side of his desk and pen in hand flying over papers. Using the tips of his uninjured fingers, he drubbed against the heavy wood. Itachi raised head and nodded. Naruto came in and quietly shut the door. "I just have to finish these notes and then we'll get to you." Nodding, he explored the room, touching shelves and the spines of his voluminous collection of books. A shiny glass ball caught his attention and he hesitantly picked it up. Yellow, red, orange and blue spirals twirled around inside the ball. He stared into it, transfixed by the colours and the coolness of it. The shining colours glinted on his face, lighting up his eyes. His fingers itched to stick the ball into his pocket, but he shook his head and carefully returned it; astonished when the colours faded and it became an ordinary glass ball. He put a finger to it and the colours came back. A giggle escaped his lips and he froze, surprising himself. _'What would Kyuubi-sama think of this?'_

Suddenly, the inside of the ball became a deep red and a shock ran through his finger. "Ow!" Taking his finger away quickly, he stuck the digit in his mouth. When he removed his finger, the ball had become clear again and he glared at it. Itachi, who had been finished writing for awhile now, wand had been content in watching Naruto play with the Sphereum, resisted a chuckle. He watched the boy's face clear and wipe his finger on his pants. Naruto gave that awkward smile again and placed his finger back on it. '_Hmm. . .I wonder why Sasuke is such an ass. . .maybe. . .'_ A realization his him and he burst out laughing. _'He's gay! Oh my god! That's hilarious!'_ The ball turned a turquoise colour and the tip of his finger numbed. Removing the dactyl, he shook it off and put it back. 'This thing is weird!' The ball became red again and he quickly took his hand away. _'Ah! Ah! Ah! I learned from the last time!' _The red faded and he waited a moment before touching it again. '_Right, you don't like being insulted. I apologize.'_ The ball turned a yellow-green. _'But, you have to agree, this is pretty weird. I mean, how many glass balls are as pretty as you?'_ The yellow-green darkened to a sage colour and then a cherry red, as if blushing from the compliment. "Ne, Itachi-san, what is this?"

At the mention of the man's name, the ball turned a carnation pink and a warm feeling spread through him. Rolling his eyes, he took his finger away and shook it off again. Itachi stood and grabbed it from the shelf. At his touch, black, navy blue and royal purple snowflakes seemed to swirl and fall inside the ball and Naruto gave a small smile. "It's called a Sphereum. Something I picked up in my travels." "As an assassin, right? I'm curious." Itachi looked into the boy's eyes. "How is it, that someone as psychotic and sadistic as you got a job as a psychologist of all things." The raven gave a true assassin's smile. "It depends on who you know and how you pull their strings." Naruto chuckled darkly. "Threats can only get you so far, Itachi, and killing only gets you so high up on the playing field. Let me guess, you stayed at home, the "prodigy" they called you, got degrees in Medicine, Science, Psychology. . .They ordered you too far, took advantage of your mind and something snapped, so you took care of them." His eyes returned to Itachi's blank face. "Leaving Sasuke the only one alive after he watched you murder everything he knew, you left and took up a job as a hunter. But which class did you enter, I wonder?"

He placed a finger to his lips. "Surely not Black Opts. Too crowded and common for you. Definitely not that stupid snake who claims to be what we are. Malicious intent is true in him, but he uses people. Then, there's the Akatsuki." He nodded. "It's the perfect place for someone like you. Dark, quiet, everyone minds their own business. . .Just the place for you, I'm sure. . .You had a partner though, didn't you? The only one who wouldn't have would be the leader, but he did as well; a female no doubt. Hmm. . ." He smiled. "Am I remotely close?" Itachi blinked. "Correct as usual, Naruto." The blond ran a hand through his hair and turned his gaze to the Sphereum. "Well, when you grow up with an assassin, you tend to become one, yourself. One of the first rules, Research everything." Naruto reached out to touch the ball, but before he could, the heavy door burst open, causing Naruto to crumple into himself. "Itachi! We need you in the E.R.!"

The raven gave a firm nod and pulled the blond up from the floor. Dropping him off at his room, Itachi placed the Sphereum into his palm and smirked. "Take good care of this for me, Naruto?" The blond stared, wide eyed at the man before him. "Itachi!" Sighing, he caressed the boy's cheek and turned, half running to his destination. "Thank you." Blinking, Naruto turned and placed the Sphereum beneath his pillow. "I'll be back soon." Grabbing his sketch book and mechanical pencil, he left his room and stood out in the hall. "Let's go find Gaara, shall we?" Nodding to himself, he turned and skipped down the hall.

* * *

**Glute: **The Gluteal muscle; Hip muscle

**Deltoid:** Muscle of the upper arm

Dominick-chan: So, I hope everyone's happy with my double awesomness! Please read and review! Lollipops and gummidrops for everyone! ^^


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